Galbi
Encyclopedia
Galbi or kalbi generally refers to a variety of gui
or grill
ed dishes in Korean cuisine that is made with marinated beef
(or pork
) short ribs
in a ganjang
-based sauce (Korea
n soy sauce
). In the Korean language
, galbi literally means "rib" and can often indicate uncooked ribs. In addition, the dish's full name is galbi gui, although "gui" (grilling) is commonly omitted to refer to it.
Galbi is generally made with beef ribs, and it may be called "sogalbi" (소갈비) or "soegalbi" (쇠갈비). Prefix "so" or "soe" (beef) is often omitted. It is also called bulgalbi when grilled over fire. As the literal meaning is "rib", the galbi dish can also be made with pork
ribs or chicken
. In such cases, the dish is called "dwaeji galbi" (돼지갈비) or "dak galbi
" (닭갈비) to emphasize the main ingredient.
It is listed at number 44 on World's 50 most delicious foods readers' poll complied by CNN Go in 2011.
The ingredients (often, ribs or meats) are marinated
in a sauce made primarily from soy sauce
, garlic
, and sugar
. However, several variations on the marinade exist including recipes that utilize sesame oil
, rice wine
or hot pepper paste. Fruit juice, lemon-lime soda and honey have become more common additions to Korean marinades in recent years, and is present in some incarnations of the dish.
When cooked on a griddle or grill
, the meat is usually cut in thin slices across the bones and called L.A. Galbi. This permits the marinade to penetrate the meat faster, allows the meat to cook more quickly, creates a more tender cut, and makes it easier to eat the finished dish with chopsticks
. Traditional cut is called Wang Galbi, literally meaning King Ribs. In this version, ribs are into 2 to 5 inch segments, and the meat is filleted in layers away from the bone to form a uniformly thin layer. Wang Galbi is usually what is served in restaurants, as it is the traditional cut and hence considered more genuine. Rarely, if ever, are L.A. Galbi served at top establishments. Pre-cut galbi is available from many meat markets in Korea
and elsewhere.
Galbi is generally served in restaurants known as "galbi houses", and the meat is cooked right at customers' tables on grills set in the tables (usually by the customers themselves). It is typically served with lettuce
, perilla
, or other leafy vegetables used to wrap the meat, which is then dipped in ssamjang
(쌈장), a sauce made of fermented bean paste and red pepper paste. It is often accompanied by side dishes known as banchan
.
In Korea, galbi is also a popular picnic
food, and many people have portable gas or charcoal stoves for cooking it outside.
Many Korean dishes incorporate ribs, including soups and stews. Some restaurants serve "pork galbi", and chicken galbi is a popular specialty of the Chuncheon
region.
Galbitang
is a clear soup
containing pieces of galbi. Galbi jjigae
is a thick stew with many large pieces of galbi, usually single bone cuts, which may also contain red peppers, green peppers, kimchi, and doenjang
(Korean bean paste). Galbi Jjim is short ribs braised in sweet soysauce based sauce.
Gui
Gui or guee is a generic term to refer to grilled dishes in Korean cuisine. These most commonly have meat or fish as their primary ingredient, but may in some cases also comprise grilled vegetables or other vegetarian ingredients. The term derives from the verb, "gupda" in Korean, which literally...
or grill
Grilling
Grilling is a form of cooking that involves dry heat applied to the surface of food, commonly from above or below.Grilling usually involves a significant amount of direct, radiant heat, and tends to be used for cooking meat quickly and meat that has already been cut into slices...
ed dishes in Korean cuisine that is made with marinated beef
Beef
Beef is the culinary name for meat from bovines, especially domestic cattle. Beef can be harvested from cows, bulls, heifers or steers. It is one of the principal meats used in the cuisine of the Middle East , Australia, Argentina, Brazil, Europe and the United States, and is also important in...
(or pork
Pork
Pork is the culinary name for meat from the domestic pig , which is eaten in many countries. It is one of the most commonly consumed meats worldwide, with evidence of pig husbandry dating back to 5000 BC....
) short ribs
Short ribs
Short ribs are a popular cut of beef. Beef short ribs are larger and usually more tender and meatier than their pork counterpart, pork spare ribs...
in a ganjang
Ganjang
Ganjang is a kind of Korean soy sauce made from fermented soybeans. Ganjang is a uniquely Korean condiment.Traditionally, Koreans start processing soybeans around the 10th month of the lunar calendar. They soak soybeans overnight and then boil them. They then pound the soybeans into a powder and...
-based sauce (Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
n soy sauce
Soy sauce
Soy sauce is a condiment produced by fermenting soybeans with Aspergillus oryzae or Aspergillus sojae molds, along with water and salt...
). In the Korean language
Korean language
Korean is the official language of the country Korea, in both South and North. It is also one of the two official languages in the Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture in People's Republic of China. There are about 78 million Korean speakers worldwide. In the 15th century, a national writing...
, galbi literally means "rib" and can often indicate uncooked ribs. In addition, the dish's full name is galbi gui, although "gui" (grilling) is commonly omitted to refer to it.
Galbi is generally made with beef ribs, and it may be called "sogalbi" (소갈비) or "soegalbi" (쇠갈비). Prefix "so" or "soe" (beef) is often omitted. It is also called bulgalbi when grilled over fire. As the literal meaning is "rib", the galbi dish can also be made with pork
Pork
Pork is the culinary name for meat from the domestic pig , which is eaten in many countries. It is one of the most commonly consumed meats worldwide, with evidence of pig husbandry dating back to 5000 BC....
ribs or chicken
Chicken
The chicken is a domesticated fowl, a subspecies of the Red Junglefowl. As one of the most common and widespread domestic animals, and with a population of more than 24 billion in 2003, there are more chickens in the world than any other species of bird...
. In such cases, the dish is called "dwaeji galbi" (돼지갈비) or "dak galbi
Dak galbi
Dak galbi, also romanized dalk galbi, is a popular South Korean dish generally made by stir-frying marinated diced chicken in a gochujang based sauce, and sliced cabbage, sweet potato, scallions, onions and tteok together on a hot plate...
" (닭갈비) to emphasize the main ingredient.
It is listed at number 44 on World's 50 most delicious foods readers' poll complied by CNN Go in 2011.
Overview
Marination
Marination is the process of soaking foods in a seasoned, often acidic, liquid before cooking. The origins of the word allude to the use of brine in the pickling process, which led to the technique of adding flavor by immersion in liquid...
in a sauce made primarily from soy sauce
Soy sauce
Soy sauce is a condiment produced by fermenting soybeans with Aspergillus oryzae or Aspergillus sojae molds, along with water and salt...
, garlic
Garlic
Allium sativum, commonly known as garlic, is a species in the onion genus, Allium. Its close relatives include the onion, shallot, leek, chive, and rakkyo. Dating back over 6,000 years, garlic is native to central Asia, and has long been a staple in the Mediterranean region, as well as a frequent...
, and sugar
Sugar
Sugar is a class of edible crystalline carbohydrates, mainly sucrose, lactose, and fructose, characterized by a sweet flavor.Sucrose in its refined form primarily comes from sugar cane and sugar beet...
. However, several variations on the marinade exist including recipes that utilize sesame oil
Sesame oil
Sesame oil is an edible vegetable oil derived from sesame seeds. Besides being used as a cooking oil in South India, it is often used as a flavor enhancer in Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and to a lesser extent Southeast Asian cuisine.The oil from the nutrient rich seed is popular in alternative...
, rice wine
Rice wine
Rice wine is an alcoholic beverage made from rice. Unlike wine, which is made by fermentation of naturally sweet grapes and other fruit, rice "wine" results from the fermentation of rice starch converted to sugars...
or hot pepper paste. Fruit juice, lemon-lime soda and honey have become more common additions to Korean marinades in recent years, and is present in some incarnations of the dish.
When cooked on a griddle or grill
Grill (cooking)
A barbecue grill is a device for cooking food by applying heat directly from below. There are several varieties of such grills, with most falling into one of two categories: gas-fueled and charcoal. There is a great debate over the merits of charcoal or gas for use as the cooking method between...
, the meat is usually cut in thin slices across the bones and called L.A. Galbi. This permits the marinade to penetrate the meat faster, allows the meat to cook more quickly, creates a more tender cut, and makes it easier to eat the finished dish with chopsticks
Chopsticks
Chopsticks are small, often tapered, sticks used in pairs of equal length as the traditional eating utensils of China and its diaspora, Japan, Korea, Vietnam and Northern provinces of Laos, Thailand and Burma. Generally believed to have originated in ancient China, they can also be found in some...
. Traditional cut is called Wang Galbi, literally meaning King Ribs. In this version, ribs are into 2 to 5 inch segments, and the meat is filleted in layers away from the bone to form a uniformly thin layer. Wang Galbi is usually what is served in restaurants, as it is the traditional cut and hence considered more genuine. Rarely, if ever, are L.A. Galbi served at top establishments. Pre-cut galbi is available from many meat markets in Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
and elsewhere.
Galbi is generally served in restaurants known as "galbi houses", and the meat is cooked right at customers' tables on grills set in the tables (usually by the customers themselves). It is typically served with lettuce
Lettuce
Lettuce is a temperate annual or biennial plant of the daisy family Asteraceae. It is most often grown as a leaf vegetable. It is eaten either raw, notably in salads, sandwiches, hamburgers, tacos, and many other dishes, or cooked, as in Chinese cuisine in which the stem becomes just as important...
, perilla
Perilla
Perilla is the common name of the herbs of the genus Perilla of the mint family, Lamiaceae. In mild climates, the plant reseeds itself. There are both green-leafed and purple-leafed varieties, which are generally recognized as separate species by botanists. The leaves resemble stinging nettle...
, or other leafy vegetables used to wrap the meat, which is then dipped in ssamjang
Ssamjang
Ssamjang is a thick, spicy paste used with food wrapped in a leaf in Korean cuisine. The sauce is made of doenjang, gochujang, sesame oil, onion, garlic, green onions, and optionally brown sugar.-Use:...
(쌈장), a sauce made of fermented bean paste and red pepper paste. It is often accompanied by side dishes known as banchan
Banchan
Banchan refers to small dishes of food served along with cooked rice in Korean cuisine. This word is used both in the singular and plural....
.
In Korea, galbi is also a popular picnic
Picnic
In contemporary usage, a picnic can be defined simply as a pleasure excursion at which a meal is eaten outdoors , ideally taking place in a beautiful landscape such as a park, beside a lake or with an interesting view and possibly at a public event such as before an open air theatre performance,...
food, and many people have portable gas or charcoal stoves for cooking it outside.
Many Korean dishes incorporate ribs, including soups and stews. Some restaurants serve "pork galbi", and chicken galbi is a popular specialty of the Chuncheon
Chuncheon
Chuncheon is the capital of Gangwon Province, South Korea. The city lies in the northeast of the country, located in a basin formed by the Soyang River and Han River. There are some large lakes around the city, most notably Lake Soyang and Lake Uiam...
region.
Galbitang
Galbitang
Galbitang is a variety of guk, or Korean soup, made primarily from beef short ribs along with stewing beef, daikon, onions, and other ingredients. The short ribs, or "galbi" also refers to grilled short ribs in Korean barbecue while the suffix tang is another name for guk...
is a clear soup
Guk
Guk , also sometimes known as Tang , is a class of soup-like dishes in Korean cuisine. Guk and tang are commonly grouped together and regarded as the same type of dish, although guk is more watery and a basic dish for the Korean table setting, and is usually eaten at home...
containing pieces of galbi. Galbi jjigae
Jjigae
Jjigae is a Korean dish similar to a Western stew. There are many different varieties but it is typically made with meat, seafood or vegetables in a broth seasoned with gochujang, doenjang, ganjang or saeujeot. Jjigae is typically served in a communal dish and boiling hot.A Korean meal almost...
is a thick stew with many large pieces of galbi, usually single bone cuts, which may also contain red peppers, green peppers, kimchi, and doenjang
Doenjang
Doenjang is a traditional Korean fermented soybean paste. Its name literally means "thick paste" in Korean.-Production:...
(Korean bean paste). Galbi Jjim is short ribs braised in sweet soysauce based sauce.
Varieties
- Dwaeji galbi (돼지갈비), made with pork ribs that can be seasoned with a typical ganjangGanjangGanjang is a kind of Korean soy sauce made from fermented soybeans. Ganjang is a uniquely Korean condiment.Traditionally, Koreans start processing soybeans around the 10th month of the lunar calendar. They soak soybeans overnight and then boil them. They then pound the soybeans into a powder and...
-based sauce or gochujangGochujangGochujang is a savory and pungent fermented Korean condiment. Traditionally, it has been naturally fermented over years in large earthen pots outdoors, more often on an elevated stone platform, called jangdokdae in the backyard...
-based sauce (chili pepper condiment). In the later case, the dish is called "maeun dwaeji galbi" (매운돼지갈비), literally meaning "hot and spicy pork ribs" in Korean. - Dak galbiDak galbiDak galbi, also romanized dalk galbi, is a popular South Korean dish generally made by stir-frying marinated diced chicken in a gochujang based sauce, and sliced cabbage, sweet potato, scallions, onions and tteok together on a hot plate...
(닭갈비), made with chicken legs although the name contains "galbi". It is seasoned with a gochujang-based sauce, but "maeun" (매운, hot and spicy) is not prefixed. - TteokgalbiTteokgalbiTteokgalbi is a type of Korean food made from galbi, or short ribs. It is believed to originate in Damyang-gun, Jeollanam-do or Songjeong-ri, Gwangju, South Korea. Currently, it can be found all over South Korea. It is made by shaping a mixture of beef and pork into a rectangular appearance then...
(떡갈비), made with beef ribs and rice cakes. - LA galbi (LA갈비) made with beef ribs thinly cut across the bone.
See also
- BulgogiBulgogiBulgogi is a Korean dish that usually consists of marinated barbecued beef, although chicken or pork may also be used. It is listed at number 23 on World's 50 most delicious foods readers' poll complied by CNN Go in 2011.-Etymology:...
- Korean barbecueKorean barbecueKorean barbecue, or gogi gui literally "meat + roasted meat", refers to the Korean method of grilling beef, pork, chicken, or other types of meat. Such dishes are often prepared at the diner's table on gas or charcoal grills that are built into the center of the table itself...
- SamgyeopsalSamgyeopsalSamgyeopsal is a popular Korean dish. Commonly served as an evening meal, it consists of thick, fatty slices of pork belly meat . The meat, usually neither marinated nor seasoned, is cooked on a grill at the diners' table...